The Role of Education in Promoting Sustainable Human Development: A Qualitative Study of ESD Programmes in Indonesia
Keywords:
Lifelong Learning, ESD, Human Development, Qualitative Research, IndonesiaAbstract
This study aims to examine the role of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in promoting sustainable human development in Indonesia, particularly through its implementation in pilot schools in East Java. The research focuses on understanding how ESD contributes to students’ competencies, awareness, and ethical values while addressing existing challenges in its application. This research employs a qualitative approach using a multiple case study design. Data were collected from 15 participants, including teachers, headteachers, and ESD facilitators from three pilot schools in East Java. Techniques included in-depth interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis supported by NVivo software to identify key patterns and themes. The findings reveal that ESD significantly enhances students’ environmental awareness, collaborative skills, and ethical values through project-based and community-based learning approaches. Students demonstrated behavioral changes such as waste management practices and increased participation in sustainability initiatives. Additionally, ESD fosters 21st-century skills, including critical thinking and problem-solving. However, implementation is constrained by several factors, including limited teacher training, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of standardized guidelines. School leadership plays a crucial role in supporting ESD through policy and resource allocation, while community involvement strengthens its broader impact. Overall, ESD serves as an effective catalyst for sustainable human development despite structural challenges. This study offers a contextual qualitative model of ESD implementation in Indonesia by integrating global ESD frameworks with local values such as Pancasila and the Merdeka Curriculum. It provides empirical evidence from post-pandemic educational settings and proposes a scalable model for national policy development, addressing gaps in qualitative ESD research in developing countries.References
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